Annie

Certificate: PG

Running Time: 118 mins

Rating: 3/5

ADAPTED from the popular Broadway musical, the 1982 film version of Annie is firmly engrained in many rose-tinted childhood memories. The uplifting story of a flame-haired orphan girl who overcomes insurmountable odds to win the heart of a billionaire businessman taps into our deep-rooted sense of belonging.

Infectious music and lyrics by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin have reverberated throughout popular culture and Will Gluck's glossy modern remake retains most of the original songbook with a couple of new soaring ballads.

Changing Annie's residence from an orphanage to a foster home significantly reduces the number of children in care for one of the big song and dance numbers and Carol Burnett's ferocious portrayal of Miss Hannigan has been softened so Cameron Diaz retains a glimmer of likeability.

There's a winning title performance from Quvenzhane Wallis, who plays Annie living in Harlem in the dubious care of an embittered, faded pop star Colleen Hannigan (Diaz) with four other girls: Tessie (Zoe Margaret Colletti), Mia (Nicolette Pierini), Isabella (Eden Duncan-Smith) and Pepper (Amanda Troya).

Annie is rescued from the path of a truck by mobile phone company billionaire Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx), who is running for mayor.

The footage goes viral and boosts Will's approval ratings and the story follows a similar path to the original. Annie lacks some of the rough charm of the 1982 film but director Gluck and his team add enough contemporary spit and polish without obscuring the story's emotional arc.

Cast lip-sync convincingly and the big numbers are slickly choreographed including a heartfelt rendition of Tomorrow from Wallis on the city streets.